Inertia
by Scifiroots
Summary: Newton’s first law of motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, in a straight line, unless acted upon by an outside force. Post “Independence Day”. preJohnnyBruce.


Inertia

By Clarity Scifiroots  
Disclaimers apply  
**Fandom**: The Dead Zone**Characters**: Bruce, Johnny (pre-slash)  
**Summary**: Newton's first law of motion states that an object in motion tends to stay in motion, in a straight line, unless acted upon by an outside force. Post "Independence Day". (Prompt: inertia for philosophy20)  
**Rating**: General  
**SPOILERS**: "Zion", "Shadows", and "Independence Day"  
Twenty-ninth day of June!fic! For twilightsrain's "best friends" request  
_Edited July 20, 2006_

"_You know, on the way here I passed an accident. A car had gone up on a sidewalk, hit a bus stop. I stopped, asked if anyone had been hit, and the cops said no. But imagine if you were sitting on that bench. Suddenly..." Pause. "Life can be like that. That sudden. That unpredictable. Now factor in the end of the world."_

"_So what're you saying?"_

"_I can't see the whole future, just the pieces my visions show me. I don't know what's going to happen."_

_ "Shadows" season three _

_---------------------_

"_Y'ever wonder if bad things happen for a reason? Like maybe there's a plan for each of us and when we mess with it, it throws the whole thing off balance?"_

"_You mean when **I** mess with it?"_

"_I just wonder if it has consequences **we** haven't considered."_

_ "Independence Day" season five  
_

The lateness of the hour combined with the fact that Bruce was in no mood to be driving and Johnny really was in no condition to drive meant a delay in returning home. Within an hour of leaving the hospital, Johnny took an exit that had listed a number of lodging options. Bruce pointed out the cheapest decent-looking place and murmured that he'd pay for the room. Johnny nodded mutely and pulled into a spot. After the engine was turned off his shoulders sagged in relief.

"Wait here, man, I'll get the room." Bruce got out of the car and headed towards the lobby. It wasn't until he reached for the door that he realized he was still holding the piece of paper Johnny had given him—the list of the psychic's "deepest, darkest secrets." Pulse pounding in his throat, he told himself to think about it later.

"Good evenin'," the bored-looking girl greeted from behind the counter.

"Hey, how's it going?" Bruce returned, sympathetic to her plight.

She gave him a wry smile. "Slow goin'. What can I get for you?"

"One room, two beds, please. Just for the night."

"Let's see what's open... Where you headin'?"

"Home—Cleaves Mills. Just been a long day. My friend and I would like some sleep before driving on."

"I got a room with two queens."

After getting the cardkeys and settling the payment, Bruce went back to the Murano. He rapped on the passenger side window lightly to catch Johnny's attention. The psychic jumped a little, apparently startled from a doze, and took a moment to acknowledge Bruce. He nodded and slowly got out of the car.

"How you doing, John?" Bruce asked quietly as his friend locked the doors. Grunting softly, Johnny shrugged his uninjured shoulder. "That good, huh? Well, it's not far to go, up the stairs and a few doors down." Bruce stepped ahead to grab the door, holding it while Johnny shuffled through. He nodded politely to the girl behind the desk and directed Johnny towards the stairs at the opposite end of the lobby.

"209, John," Bruce said. He fumbled with the cardkey the first time and chuckled to himself for his clumsiness. "Not like the good ol' days when all you needed to do was jiggle the key a bit," he muttered.

Once inside, Johnny drifted to the nearest bed. Bruce slowly closed the door behind him, studying Johnny with a frown. "You limpin' again?"

Johnny sat down shakily and rubbed his knee guiltily. He wouldn't meet Bruce's gaze.

With a long sigh, Bruce made his way over and sat down next to the blond. "What am I gonna do with you, man? Do you really want to play into that whole biblical martyrdom thing?"

"No." Johnny shot him a fierce glare.

"Yet you keep sticking your neck out," Bruce countered wryly. "You can't fix it all, John. You're only human, even with your 'zone."

Johnny's glare didn't diminish and a vein at his temple ticked in clear anger. Bruce waited him out, knowing that Johnny couldn't clench his teeth forever.

"Damnit!" the blond shouted. He made an aborted attempt to stand up, his limbs a little too shaky to support him at the moment. "What did you expect me to do? Let all those people die? Let _you_ die? I couldn't do that, Bruce! There was no reason to. He shot and... and it was just so _pointless_."

Bruce closed his eyes, wishing he could block out the imagine of Felps turning the gun on _him_, firing—

"I know you wouldn't," he said softly. "But, John, I'm not okay with you trading your life for mine." Mostly to himself he added, "Or anyone else for that matter."

Johnny remained silent, so Bruce looked up to find him staring blankly at the wall, jaw tight again.

Shifting uneasily, Bruce dropped his gaze to his clasped hands. "Remember last time?" The strained noise, cut off quickly, from his companion told him that Johnny knew exactly what he was referring to—the last time they'd fought to stave off Bruce's death. "You told me something... afterwards. You realized something then and I think you oughtta think about it now. You don't see everything that goes on, all the details or all the outcomes. It's just bits and pieces, whatever your visions end up showing you. Life's unpredictable."

"I believe I also said something about not being able to trust my own actions," Johnny said, eyes closing.

Bruce hesitantly placed his hand over Johnny's, hoping that no further visions would be sparked. For some reason he'd been something of a catalyst recently. "I said it then and it stays true now: you're not gonna cross that line. You're not Stillson."

Johnny grimaced faintly and opened his eyes to catch Bruce's gaze. "It happened this time, too. You were calling out to me even..." he took a shaky breath, "even though you were..."

"Shh. Didn't happen," Bruce said, feeling more than a little shaky himself. "You and me, we're a team, John. But you need to stop playing solo for that the work." The strain of the day suddenly seemed to dump all its overwhelming weight on his shoulders, and Bruce leaned forward, resting his forehead against Johnny's. "Damnit, I couldn't live with myself if you died for me."

A weak laugh, more bitter than amused, croaked from Johnny's throat. "What do you think it does to me every time I see your corpse?"

Bruce shuddered. "I saw you die once, man," he spoke in an eerily calm, low tone. "I don't want to see it happen again. You know why you didn't go nuts and get killed in this life? 'Cuz of me, John. I don't like you fucking up my protection plans." He fixed Johnny with his best attempt at a glare while being so close. The frustrated anger quickly drained away as he stared into the surprised, pained blue eyes locked with his.

"I need you." The words weren't necessarily surprising, but the gasped, desperate tone was. Bruce started to pull back, to take a better look as his friend, when Johnny tugged him close, wrapping his uninjured arm tightly around his back. Bruce hurriedly adjusted his position so that he wouldn't be putting undue pressure on any of Johnny's wounds. "I _can't_ lose you," the words rasped against Bruce's ears.

"I'm not easy to lose," Bruce promised, embracing the blond loosely. "In for the long haul, okay?" Johnny buried his face into the crook of Bruce's shoulder and shook quietly. Concerned, Bruce gently stroked the man's back and spoke quiet, soothing words, not paying much attention to what he actually said.

After long minutes, Johnny stilled. Bruce didn't pull away, well aware that things were far from being fine.

Finally Johnny spoke asked, "Did you read the list?"

It took a moment for Bruce to place what he meant. "Not really, just a quick glance."

Johnny nodded, his nose rubbing the bare skin of Bruce's neck—it sort of tickled. "I put down how... scared I am that you're right."

"About?"

"Fate. Destiny. That there's some 'grand plan' that I've messed with and the universe is trying to move back into the flow of things."

Bruce remained silent for a while, thinking back to what he'd said earlier in the day.

"Y'know, I think you were onto something. If there's some 'cosmic plan' you've already got to be figured in—visions and all. Maybe we still got a destiny we're supposed to reach but there's a million ways to get there, right? With your visions we just... make detours. Add more options."

Johnny lifted his head and pulled away a bit, staring contemplatively at Bruce. "You're not just saying this to make me feel better?"

Bruce laughed a little and shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it'd be to my benefit, too. I don't know, man, I don't know how all this goes. But it makes just about as much sense as anything else."

"I guess."

Relieved, Bruce patted Johnny's arm and prepared to get up. They were both exhausted so they might as well get some sleep. Johnny caught his wrist and wouldn't let go. "C'mon man, I'm tired," he complained with a frown.

Johnny freed his hand and moved it to Bruce's cheek. His eyes searched for... something, then locked with Bruce's. "What are you afraid I'll see?"

Taken aback, Bruce felt his eyes widen in surprise. "What?" he echoed, even as his brain provided him in vivid detail exactly what he didn't want his friend to know—the daydreams, the inappropriate thoughts at inopportune times, everything he felt but never said...The psychic's expression didn't change, thankfully not having caught a glimpse at the rush of thoughts that assaulted Bruce.

"I don't want to mess this up," Johnny said quietly. "You and me—are we good?" Bruce swallowed nervously, too tense to answer. Johnny's eyes trailed over his face in scrutiny.

After staring at each other for an indeterminate amount of time, Bruce gave in and nodded once, a very brief movement. Johnny relaxed and moved further up onto the bed. Bruce watched silently, and as Johnny settled, he pulled off his shoes, then worked on Johnny's. Done with that, he crawled up and settled on his side, facing Johnny and wrapping one arm around his waist.

"I'll drive tomorrow," he offered quietly.

Johnny shot him a tired glare. "I'd rather do it."

Bruce smiled minutely. "Don't need you overdoing it."

"Call it old fashioned paranoia," Johnny muttered, eyes sliding shut.

"Okay, okay," Bruce relented. He waited until the blonde's face relaxed in sleep. "Love you, man," he murmured, leaning over to brush a soft kiss on one bruised cheek. "I'll take better care of you." Johnny's lips quirked upwards, but he couldn't be sure if it was because of a dream or some partially conscious awareness. Deciding not to worry about it, Bruce settled in and closed his eyes.

Fin


End file.
